Metabolic Engineering of Microbes for the Production of Plant‐Based Compounds

Recombinant DNA technology (r-DNA technique) is a novel technique introduced to create transgenic/genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for the production of a desired product. Sometimes this technique is known as metabolic engineering of microbes because of its ability to interfere or modulate metabolic pathways. Desired metabolites are produced via transformation of the desired gene(s) into bacterial or yeast model systems. This transformation technology creates GMO organisms with a modified genetic constituent. In modern times, GMOs have many medical and biological applications including gene therapy (knockout mouse), production of pharmaceutical products (insulin), agriculture (golden rice), Bt crop (Bt cotton), and for environmental safety (bioremediation). By using genetic engineering approaches, several pivotal metabolic pathways in microorganisms and plants are altered, which play an essential role in our lives. Secondary metabolites that have potential medicinal value, high cost, deficient production, and high market demand, attract researchers to produce valuable metabolites by using a microbial system via transgenic/GMO approaches. In this chapter, we review various strategies and recent signs of progress that have been used to increase plant-based compounds by microbial systems. Progress in the field of metabolic engineering/pathway engineering, tools of bioinformatics, and implementation of this information for improved and enhanced production of plant-based novel metabolites in microorganisms are summarized.